The Significant Date in the Inane Facts
by GalaxieGurl
Summary: Avalon brings lunch for Angela and notices one of the interns.


The Significant Date in the Inane Facts

 **A/N: Yesterday I complained to FaithinBones that my writing inspirations lately have been few and far between. She graciously suggested this prompt. I had forgotten the date of this memorable episode, and appreciated her help.**

A dark-haired lanky young man paused at the entrance to the Medico Legal Lab, remembering. He observed the contents of a stainless steel tray carried by the technician beside him, whose name he couldn't recall at the moment.

"Dr. Hodgins will relish analyzing the particulates embedded in those fibers," he chuckled to himself.

As the electronically-secured doors slid open to admit the other lab employee, he followed a few steps behind.

" _Black bears hum when they are content." He recalled happily._

A plaque mounted on the wall caught his attention. "That was a day to remember," he thought wryly.

Angela's office was off to the left, and he paused at the doorway to watch her work. She was hunched over a multiband scanner with her back to the door, muttering to herself. After a few minutes, she paused, looked up, glanced around, shook her head, and returned to her work.

"Can't be. Could it? I'll ask Avalon today when I see her at lunch," he heard Angela remark under her breath.

He walked on, across the lab, to Dr. Brennan's glass-walled office. Engaged in an animated phone conversation, her head cocked to the side, eyes stormy, brow furrowed a bit, his mentor was obviously disagreeing with someone.

"Agent Booth, no doubt," he surmised in amusement.

" _The head width of the winghead shark (_ _Eusphyra blochii_ _) is equal to almost half its body length." He recited to himself._

Stopping by the platform steps, he looked up at the white-coated interns examining the latest set of remains laid out on the back-lighted table.

A tall spare man nearly his own height was pontificating about some mark he had found on the bones. Across from him a young woman retorted in a spirited fashion, her copper pony tail punctuating her statements as she countered his opinions.

" _Humans are born without wrist bones." He recited happily._

The lab doors slid open again, this time admitting two conservatively-suited men.

His smile widened, recognizing one.

Agent Booth, who strode across the dark tiled floor, calling to his partner.

"Chop, chop, Bones! Time to go get some lunch!"

His younger companion chimed in, "Today is meatloaf day at the diner, Dr. Brennan. There were only four donuts left in the break room. I'm starving!"

Brennan looked up from her computer keyboard, a bemused smile crossing her face.

"Booth, I need to finish this report for Marcus Geier! He needs my results to complete his analysis for you!"

"Nope, Bones, not right now you don't. I have another issue we need to discuss. Aubrey and I interviewed the victim's parents this morning, and their comments contradict what her supervisor at the park told us! We can talk and eat. Now off with the lab coat and on with your jacket!" he said, helping her change garments as he spoke.

" _Stationery mushroom coral have been observed eating moon jellyfish, although it is yet unknown how the coral catch their prey." He said to no one in particular._

The lab doors slid open again. This time the uniformed Jeffersonian security guard was escorting a pale blonde woman who carried an armful of take-out containers. Unlike the other people around, she looked directly at him with a gentle smile, then headed for Angela's office.

As Booth, Brennan and Aubrey followed the security guard out of the lab, the senior agent could be heard asking about the man's children.

Once the trio had departed, he noticed that Angela was standing in the doorway of her office, talking quietly with her friend.

"I knew I noticed something, Avalon," she declared. "It felt like someone was watching me; but not sinister, you know?"

"You are right. He is here now, over by the platform, Ange."

He walked quietly toward the two ladies and stopped in front of them, waiting.

"Vincent?" Angela asked softly.

"Today is the fourth anniversary of his death…."

"So much has changed in that time…. Zack is locked up, Sweets is gone too, Hodgie's in a wheelchair, our kids have been born…."

He turned as the bearded scientist rolled up to his wife. "Avalon, what are you doing here?"

"Just having lunch with my friend, Dr. Hodgins. You have a friend here today, as well."

Jack Hodgins looked at the psychic in surprise. "What? Who? I don't see anyone besides you two loons!"

Angela looked at her husband knowingly. "Mr. Nigel-Murray, as Bren would call him, is here."

The bug man squinted at Avalon suspiciously. "You can feel him? Why would he be hanging around with unfinished business? We put Broadsky away!"

He's not, Hodgins. It was today that he di-"

"Yes, Angie, I know! It's been bumming me out all morning! The guy didn't deserve to go so young!"

Avalon interrupted his rant. "Your friend isn't here because of unresolved issues, Dr. Hodgins. He is just visiting places he remembers fondly. Spirits are sometimes granted that wish on days that were significant to them during life."

Jack Hodgins waved his arms in front of himself.

"Well, Vincent, where ever you are in here; you should know that you're not forgotten. We named our son after you, along with Angie's dad's whacked suggestions. And your picture's over there by the doors. Your memory is alive and well in this lab, buddy. And we miss hearing your intelligent inane facts so much…." He stopped, choking up.

"Don't be sad, Dr. Hodgins. Vincent Nigel-Murray is at peace. He keeps an eye on things around here; pops an idea, an observation into one of your heads every now and again to help your cases along," Avalon soothed.

Jack Hodgins grinned at the woman he usually disdained. "Thanks, Avalon!"

Saluting the spirit in front of him, Hodgins spoke again.

"Good to know, Dude. Good to know. Keep it up, please. Once in a while, we really need it; the crime-fighting good guys can use all the help we can get!"

 **A/N: The random facts supplied by Vincent Nigel-Murray in this story were found online at Inane Facts Blogspot "One Inane Fact Every Day" by** **Taisaku Opai. The web address is** **http colon back slash back slash inanefacts dot blogspot dot com black slash 2009.**


End file.
